Cargo is commonly transported on various decked vehicles including trucks and trailers and the like. Typically, the deck of such vehicles is provided with a rail member extending longitudinally along both sides of the deck upon which various forms of cargo straps can be secured for securing cargo to the deck. Cargo straps or tie-down members are understood herein to comprise various types of strapping material including woven or webbed material, as well as chains and the like. In some instances a curtain system is further provided for enclosing the sides of the deck during transport.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,796 by Verduyn and U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,562 by Broadbent disclose examples of rail members alongside a cargo deck onto which the bottom edge of a curtain can be secured using straps and hooks which are hooked onto a securement flange of the rail. Cargo straps may also be hooked onto the rail in each instance, however, when the cargo straps remain slack, the hooks readily fall out of place, making it difficult to secure the cargo.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,439,427 by Adams discloses a further example of a strap system for a cargo deck in which apertures are provided at longitudinally spaced positions in both the upper and lower walls of the rail member. Hooks on the ends of straps are taught to be inserted fully through both the upper and lower apertures of the side rail to fully receive the straps through the rail for hooking to an area below the rail. Accordingly, when the strap members are slack, the hooks can again fall readily out of place such that the securement process may be difficult for a single user.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,487, also to Adams, discloses an extruded rail member at the opposing sides of the cargo deck in which a continuous channel is provided in the upper surface having a hooking flange along the full length of the rail member. A specific configuration of hook member is required to mate with the hooking flange and requires a special curved profile which may be costly and difficult to accurately manufacture. Furthermore, as the hooking edge is a continuous channel, no lateral stability is provided to the hooks when the straps are slack such that no assistance is provided to maintain the hook in a slack condition nor is any guidance provided with regard to longitudinal positioning of the hook relative to the rail member.